Interior CS Kithure Kindiki has explained the events that lead to the rescuing of a wounded bandit at Iten Hospital under police custody.
Speaking on Wednesday when he appeared before the National Assembly, Kindiki said the suspect had bullet wounds and could not explain the cause of the injury.
"We believe the people who came to rescue him were criminals because they came through the hospital fence. They came to rescue one of their own who was hurt," he said.
"The reason why that happened notwithstanding the presence of few police officers who were on-site at that time was the determination by the commanding officer on site that a shootout inside that facility would have caused fatalities of the patients and that gave a leeway for the rescue to succeed."
Kindiki's response comes after armed bandits raided a hospital in Iten town and rescued their colleague who was undergoing treatment after being injured in a banditry raid.
The wounded bandit was under investigation over banditry in Kerio Valley and police were intending to arrest him.
According to a police OB No 02 of 10/04/2023, at about 0045 hours, police officers acted on information that a patient being treated of gunshot wounds at Iten County Referral Hospital was intending to escape from the facility.
Ten police officers drawn from DCI Keiyo North and Iten police station visited the facility and found the suspect in stable condition and due for discharge.
Four police officers went to the ward to help secure the discharge of the while the other six officers were manning the main hospital gate.
At about 0210 hours the patient was discharged and immediately at the entrance of the ward a group of 10 young men, six of them armed with AK-47 rifles, stormed the ward, smashed windows and rescued the patient from police officers.
The police report said nobody was injured during the confrontation. Police officers combed the area but were not able to make any arrests.
Kindiki said that police are in pursuit of the suspect and he will be brought to book.